gnovel Chapter 281 Night Raid, Japanese Counterattack
Chapter 281 Night Raid, Japanese Counterattack
If you could only read one military novel in your life, it would probably be "You Were Ordered to Guard Sihang Warehouse, and You Developed a German-equipped Division".
The gunfire around them gradually subsided, replaced by the chirping of insects and the sound of wind, creating a chilling silence.
It wasn't until late at night, around 2 a.m., that the previously peaceful lines between the two sides were finally shattered by a burst of intense gunfire.
The sound came so suddenly, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.
The soldiers of the Third Column, who were trying to get close to the Japanese positions, were discovered by Japanese sentries.
The bursts of gunfire signaled the start of the battle, followed by a barrage of flares that rose into the night sky, their brilliance blinding.
The Japanese soldiers rubbed their eyes and looked on, hardly believing their eyes.
The enemy on the other side had somehow gotten within fifty meters of their position.
Moreover, there were so many of them, lying on the ground in a dark mass, like a pack of wolves lurking in the grass, their eyes gleaming.
But they were also prepared. Yu Chuanxiang's reminder was still ringing in their ears, and they knew that the Third Column was likely to launch a counterattack tonight.
But even knowing that, when those figures actually emerged from the darkness, my fingers still couldn't help but tremble.
With a hoarse shout, the charge began. The sound was like a blunt knife, piercing the silence of the night.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!" The machine guns on the Japanese positions roared, their muzzles flashing in the night.
But these machine guns often don't last long before they are locked on from a distance by grenade launchers or Panzerfaust 60s and destroyed with a single shot, like snapping a rooster's neck.
The defensive positions built by the Japanese army were mostly simple, consisting of temporary sandbags and shallow trenches, lacking the protection of solid fortifications.
Under these circumstances, both the Panzerfaust 60 and the captured grenade launchers could put considerable pressure on the Japanese army from the front.
In addition, most of the soldiers in the Third Column were seasoned veterans and were no longer the green recruits who couldn't even hold a gun steadily.
They had accumulated rich experience in previous battles, growing from recruits to veterans, and even elites, like pieces of iron that had been repeatedly forged.
Those Japanese veterans were indeed very accurate marksmen, even in the dark.
Using the stark white light of the flares, they could pinpoint the location of the third column's infantry in a very short time.
But a strange thing happened—just as these Japanese veterans raised their Type 38 rifles and aimed at those crawling or moving figures, they were often the ones who were hit by bullets first.
"Clang!!!" The Mauser bullet pierced the Japanese soldier's helmet with a dull, crisp sound, like smashing a ceramic pot.
The bullets shredded skulls and tore apart brains; the soldiers collapsed to the ground before they could even utter a sound.
The Japanese soldiers who survived by sheer luck were surprised to find that the enemy's marksmanship seemed to be slightly better than their own.
This sent a chill through them, as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water on them from behind.
In the past, Japanese troops preferred to engage in firefights with Chinese troops at a distance of 100 to 200 meters.
At this distance, most of the Hanyang rifles used by the Chinese army are old, with worn-out rifling, causing the bullets to drift like a drunkard.
In addition, Chinese soldiers generally lack live-fire training. Many new recruits only receive bullets for the first time when they go to the battlefield and have never even pulled the trigger a few times.
Therefore, the individual shooting skills of Japanese soldiers were usually far superior to those of ordinary Chinese soldiers, which almost became their psychological advantage.
But things are completely different now. The Third Column on the other side is not only equipped with high-performance Mauser rifles, but also spares no expense in live-fire training.
They had plenty of bullets, enough to keep you firing until your hands were sore. As a result, their overall shooting skills were actually a cut above those of the Japanese soldiers.
In a firefight at this distance, the Third Column was not at a disadvantage at all, and even had a slight advantage.
More importantly, they possess absolute firepower suppression with machine guns, as well as constant fire support from the rear.
Whether it's the MG34 or the MG42, their rate of fire and sustained firepower are far superior to those of the Japanese Type 91 light machine gun or the Type 92 heavy machine gun.
The MG42's "hissing" sound was like an electric cloth-tearing machine working frantically, making one's scalp tingle.
Their firepower was completely overwhelmed, and even the machine gunners' combat skills were superior to those of the Third Column.
In summary, these soldiers of the Third Column could gain a clear advantage in head-on confrontations, even using only light weapons.
It wasn't until the Japanese deployed more troops that they managed to stabilize the frontal defenses, like plugging a cracked dam with wooden planks.
But at that moment, a series of dense roaring sounds suddenly came from the side and behind, making the ground tremble slightly.
Those were various types of tanks from the Third Motorized Infantry Detachment, which, under the cover of darkness, attacked from the flanks.
However, compared to the past, this charge did not seem to go very smoothly.
After quickly breaking through the outer perimeter of the Japanese flank, the unit was soon met with resistance from anti-tank mines.
"BOOM!!!!!" Amidst the continuous explosions, several armored vehicles at the front could be seen being blown into the air and then crashing down heavily.
The tracks broke, the vehicle deformed, and the flames illuminated the terrified faces of the surrounding soldiers.
In addition, the Japanese anti-tank guns that had been deployed in advance on the flanks also opened fire on the tanks of the Third Column with the help of flares.
"Boom boom boom!!!" The 37mm anti-tank gun wasn't particularly powerful, but it couldn't withstand the fact that most of the armored vehicles equipped by the Third Column were lightly armored.
The frontal armor couldn't withstand the impact of armor-piercing rounds at all; one shot would leave a hole, like piercing a piece of paper with an awl.
The Japanese troops on the opposite side used their pre-constructed anti-tank fire network to frequently kill the tanks of the Third Column.
Some of the armored vehicles caught fire and burned, while others lay limp and unable to move on the roadside, creating a chaotic scene.
The news quickly reached Yu Chuanxiang's command post, and the communications soldier's voice was filled with excitement.
"Reporting to the division commander, the enemy suddenly appeared from the flank, broke through our outer defenses, and was then attacked by a combination of anti-tank fire and landmines."
"The enemy has suffered heavy losses and has begun to retreat. We are organizing firepower to pursue them."
Upon hearing this, Yu Chuanxiang raised his head, his gaze falling on the map on the wall, a cold smile appearing on his lips.
"Those guys over there are really arrogant," he said slowly, with a hint of admiration in his voice.
"They were at a significant disadvantage in terms of both manpower and firepower, yet they launched a counterattack under the cover of darkness, catching us completely off guard."
"This is Li Jianghe, this is the Third Column. Just when you think he would never fight back, he'll surprise you."
"Taking advantage of your momentary lapse in attention, we inflicted heavy losses on you. This opponent is indeed formidable."
The staff officer standing nearby smiled knowingly and chimed in, "Your Excellency, Division Commander, it seems you have figured out Li Jianghe's attack tactics."
"Can we take advantage of this situation and launch a counterattack? The tank units are ready, and those young soldiers are eager to make a name for themselves."
His eyes gleamed as he spoke, as if he could already see the picture of victory.
Yu Chuanxiang gave a cold laugh, a laugh that carried a hint of decisiveness: "Fine, let the tank units launch a counterattack from the flank."
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